


Sleep Deprivation

by beauty_in_gold



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-04-29 10:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5124473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beauty_in_gold/pseuds/beauty_in_gold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evilsnowswan earned this prompt by going to bed on time, GO SNOWY! This is a Rumbelle version of the 24 hour dance marathon episode of Gilmore Girls. Belle is without a partner to the annual Storybrooke dance-a-thon and ends up having to make a deal with Luke Gold so she doesn't show up alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evilsnowswan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evilsnowswan/gifts).



  

“But Ruby, you promised!” The sound that emanated from the other end of the phone was ear splitting and hardly sounded human. Belle pulled the phone away from her face and waited for the shrieking to stop. “Ruby please, don’t do this, don’t bail on me! How am I supposed to find someone else before tomorrow?” Ruby let loose another blood curdling scream that still lacked any intelligible words, but Belle continued anyway. “This is breaking so many levels of girl code! What happened to chicks before dicks?!” This time, Ruby was able to form words, but just barely.

            “But BEEELLLLLLEEEEE!” The words drug out of her mouth like pulling teeth. “You still have like, twelve hours to find someone else! Please, I’ve waited for Peter to make a move since I was a pup. C’mon Belle, you know you can’t be mad at me.” Belle huffed and Ruby responded with a whimper. The sound of desperation practically traveled through the phone.

            “Fine! But you owe me, like huge.” After a moment of squeals and cheers Belle hung up without a goodbye. _Well, shit._ She shuffled through the rolledex in her mind a few time before coming up empty. How could she show up to the event she planned herself, without a date? Panic started to set in as she paced circles around her bedroom. After a few laps she worried she might wear holes in the floorboards and decided to pace around town instead.

            Downtown Storybrooke was all of two streets wide and Belle ran out of people to ask before the sun went down. It was too late; everyone was either going with someone or had no interest in spending the next 24 hours on a dance floor. Quite frankly, she didn’t blame them. This was Storybrooke’s 50th annual dance-a-thon and it was tradition. Most people had their partners picked out before they started grade school. Ruby had been her partner as far back as she could remember. Now here she was, in charge of the whole event and without a partner.

            As she rounded the corner, off Main Street, shuffling gravel under her shoes, a leaflet of paper fluttered across the sidewalk and smacked into her ankle. It clung there for a moment, trapped by the breeze; before she reached down to peel it off. The vein in her temple twitched as she brought the flyer up to look at it. In big blue letters it read “Storybrooke 50th annual Dance-a-thon!” under that, in red “Last couple standing wins!” She was furious. She was without a partner and the universe was mocking her. Angrily, she crumpled the flyer into a ball and with a few choice words, tossed it over her shoulder.

            “Miss French, I believe littering is a crime in Storybrooke.” His accent was unmistakable and before she even turned around she could feel Luke Gold’s gaze burning a hole in the back of her head. Hesitating, she finally turned around and plastered on her fakest, toothy grin. She didn’t have time for this, the dance started in less than ten hours and she was still flying solo.

            “Oh! Luke, hi.” She flashed another cheesy grin before bending down to recover the crumpled up flyer. “I’m sorry about this. I’m having a rough evening and I don’t function well on less than three cups of coffee.” She rolled the flyer around in her hands, waiting for his expression to change. It didn’t. Actually, she wondered if she had ever seen another expression on his face. The memory of her pulling funny faces as a child and her mother informing her she needed to be careful or it would stick that way, crossed her mind. Belle lived in Storybrooke as long as she could remember and she couldn’t recall ever seeing the man smile. Rumor has it, he had a wife once.  When she left with his son, she took all his happiness with her and now, he didn’t know how to smile. Belle was sympathetic; if anything, in this moment she knew what it felt like to be alone. _That’s it! You’re both alone!_

“I don’t recall seeing your name on tomorrow’s signup sheet, Mr. Gold.” He scrunched his nose slightly and Belle noticed the fine lines around his eyes. They were probably a sign of a long life.

            “I assure you Miss French, I have better things to do with my Saturday.” Now it was her turn to scrunch her nose. She worked extremely hard on this event and she was exceedingly protective of it.

“It’s for a good cause! All of the proceeds are going towards opening the old library.”Turning on her heels she pointed down the street to the clock tower. The library underneath held a special place in Belle’s heart and it was in desperate need of repair. When she pivoted back around to him, his expression was neutral once again.

            “I am quite sure my donation should be sufficient enough.” While she did recall a sizeable check with Gold’s name on it, she needed a partner and she was not about to let her only chance at getting one walk away. Although, if she were being honest, Luke Gold was the last person she wanted to spend an entire day with. Truly, he wasn’t a blatantly cruel person but he could definitely be a hard ass. Belle experienced that first hand last spring when her father’s flower shop was late on rent. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the thought of her fathers’ face as Gold drove away with every dime he had to his name. At the time, she was furious; now she understood. Gold was a business man and her father was bad with money. If this was going to happen she needed to appeal to the business man in him.

            “Fine, let’s make a deal then!” At this he raised an eyebrow, a curious look she wasn’t familiar with. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and looked at her with intrigue.

            “Well, you have my attention. What exactly do you have to offer me, Miss French?” Her annoyance grew as he said her name. She bit the inside of her cheek before speaking again.

            “I’m sure I don’t have much to offer a man like you, Mr. Gold.” She made sure to stress his title. “But I can offer you my time in exchange for yours. I know I don’t look like much, but I can be helpful. Maybe you need some help around your shop?” He raised his eyebrow again but this time he drew his lips back into a tight smile. The gold tooth set in his bottom jaw caught the light of the early morning and she found herself transfixed on his mouth. When he started to speak she watched it form words, curving and puckering as syllables spilled out in his distinctive accent. By the time his mouth finished moving she realized that she hadn’t heard a single word he just said. Blushing, she rolled her hands together.

            “I, uh- I’m sorry, what?” This apparently warranted another sideways grin and Belle distracted herself by picking at her cuticles.

            “I said, the shop has been a bit cluttered lately. I could use a hand straightening things up a bit.” Her face lit up as she realized he was agreeing and she looked up at him. When she caught his eyes they were darker than before, as if they were absorbing all the light around them. “That aside, I am not sure why it seems to be so important to you that an old monster like me attend some dance. Might scare of a few of the town kids.” A giggle escaped her as she pictured a group of grade school children fleeing the dance. Quickly she threw her hands up to cover her mouth, embarrassed by her own body’s betrayal.

            “Actually, um” she went back to nervously picking at her cuticles. “I need a partner. Ruby bailed on me this afternoon and I didn’t exactly have a backup prepared.” When she finally took her attention away from her hands she found him smiling. This grin was different though. Earlier when he had grinned the corners of his mouth had pulled his lips taught and only the very tops of his bottom teeth were visible. This time however, the apples of his cheeks raised and small creases formed around his eyes. His lips pulled back to reveal the teeth underneath and for the first time she noticed how jagged the bottom set was. Subconsciously she ran her tongue over her own teeth.

            Well, Miss French.” He brought his hand up to chest height and with a flourish, let it fall back to his side. “I’m flattered. How many people had to turn you down before you got desperate enough to make a deal with me?” The bite at the end of his question made her grit her teeth. He could really be an ass.

            “All of them, actually. But that’s beside the point.” She fought down the urge to just say screw it and go by herself. “Do we have a deal?” Wordlessly he reached his hand out and she took it, firmly shaking on the agreement. As annoyed as she was by the smug look on his face, her grin covered half her face. She was genuine grateful to just have a partner. “Meet me outside the gymnasium at six? We have to sign in and get our physicals.” Nodding his agreement he watched as she turned on her heels back towards town.

            “But Belle,” stopping at the sound of his voice she pivoted back in his direction with both eyebrows raised.

            “Hm?” A dark blush set across his tanned cheeks and he stuffed his hands back into his pockets.

            “What do I wear?” A sparkle set in her eye and she scanned up and down his figure. Taking in his perfectly tailored three-piece suit, deep red shirt, and glossy black tie, she smiled. He wore it like armor, shielding him from the rest of the world. When her eyes finally made their way back up to his she saw a hint of vulnerability, but it was fleeting and she wondered if maybe she had imagined it.

            “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” With that she turned, throwing a final glance over her shoulder.

 

* * *

 

 

            The morning came too soon and Luke Gold grumbled profanities at his alarm clock as it wailed in his ear. After a hot shower he wiped the steam from the mirror and took a hard look at his face. The last several years had not been kind to him and it showed like a battle field across his face. He ran his fingers along his face, around his eyes, down his cheeks, and eventually the lingered gently across his lips. His skin was a rocky shore beaten down by too many big storms. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tousling the wet strands. _What the hell are you doing?_ He had no business attending an event like this, much less arm and arm with Belle French. There was no doubt he was going to be the oldest person in attendance by at least a decade. Well, except for Granny Taylor, who always got punch drunk around hour fifteen and started telling stories about how she always wanted to be a magician. He felt so out of place and he wasn’t even there yet.

            Staring desperately at his closet he shuffled past suit after suit. The dance-a-thon always had an old school theme and while he had never actually attended the dance himself he had stopped by a few years when his son was participating. The memory warmed him, picturing Bae in his tiny suit always arm and arm with the little blonde girl from down the street. Digging to the last hanger in his closet he pulled out a navy blue pinstriped suit. More memories fluttered at the back of his mind, rising to the forefront before he could push them down. A Halloween party, a beautiful woman with dark curls pinned around her face, a beaded flapper dress that clattered as she danced. It felt like a life time ago and he stared at stitching in the suit, relishing in the warmth of one of the few good memories he had of his wife. Before the feelings could overtake him, he reached up on his toes, feeling around the top shelf of his closet. The tips of his fingers brushed across the brim of his Trilby and he pulled it down, showering himself in dust. A few labored coughs later and the dust settled, he ran his fingers over the fine pin stripping on the hat. Once he brushed the dust off, the white threads practically glowed, even after all this time. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth but as soon as it appeared it was gone.

            After he dressed and shaved he poured himself a tall mug of coffee and stood under the harsh lights of the kitchen. The flyer for today’s event lay flat on the counter in front of him. Belle really had done an excellent job. The event was bigger than ever and she was so determined to open that library; he admired that. Taking a long, slow sip from his mug he wondered how he let himself get roped into this. Belle was a pretty, young woman who spent charitable things and helping others. He, on the other hand, was the town monster. Pinching the bridge of his nose he sighed and sucked down the last of the coffee. Today was going to be long and taxing and he was going to need all the help he could get, so he poured himself another cup.

 

* * *

 

 

Belle was standing at the registration table, thanking Henry repeatedly for volunteering his time. When she was Gold walk up she was suddenly at a loss for words, stopping midsentence at the confusion of the young man. The courtyard was already buzzing with activity as everyone got prepared, but in that moment it all stopped. Gold was always dressed to the nines, donning his suits and ties like they could somehow save him from the harshness of the world. This suit was different though and Belle let her eyes linger as she sought out every detail. It didn’t fit as well as what he usually wore into battle. The bottom three buttons were pulled taught against his stomach and the perfectly pressed crease was missing from the pants. The idea that the suit was borrowed tickled her mind; she couldn’t imagine him owning something like this. When her eyes found his face again it was turned to the ground and something about it unsettled her. He looked uncomfortable. Belle hadn’t seen his face make many expressions, but uncomfortable was certainly not one she expected. Patting Henry on the shoulder she walked down the steps and through the crowd, she never did finish her sentence. By the time she reached Gold he had resumed his steely expression and looked less than thrilled to see her.

“Miss French.” He tipped the edge of his hat at her but made no moves to change his expression. The outfit actually suited him and she fought off the smile working its way across her face.

“Luke, we are going to be spending the next 24 hours together, I think you can call me Belle.”  It was his turn to fight back a smile now. Very few townspeople called him by his first name and he liked the way it sounded off her tongue. Before he could respond though, Mary Margaret tapped Belle on the shoulder, needing to discuss a problem with some kind of eggless egg salad. Gold took the opportunity to admire what Belle had chosen as her “throw back” attire. Her hair was curled and pulled up high on the crown of her head with a few loose curls framing her face. The dress she had on was mesmerizing and surprisingly it matched his suit. He chuckled to himself, what were the odds. A beautiful pearl necklace draped around her neck, managing to catch all of the available light this early in the morning. When he made it to her feet, his eyes widened. Her legs were slim and milky and looked so smooth he had to fight the urge to reach out and touch them. At the bottom of those legs though, sat a pair of blue heels that sparkled like stars. There was no chance she would be able to dance in those things for 24 hours. Smiling to himself once more the thought that this might take up less of his day then he thought was amusing.

When Belle turned back around after soothing her friends frazzled nerves, she found Gold staring at the floor, grinning like an idiot.

“Something funny?” His attention snapped back so fast it almost knocked him over. A blush creeped up his neck and he seemed unsure what to do with his hands. Reaching forward she placed her hand on his. “Hey, it’s alright.” Attempting to compose himself he straightened up and cleared his throat.

“I am fine Miss uh- Belle.” He was clearly still flustered but his face was back to its unreadable expression.

“Good to hear.” She flashed him a smile. “If you stand in this line you can get your physical done and I’ll go grab us a couple coffees.”

“Coffee sounds excellent, thank you.” With that Belle turned, the skirt of her dress twirling with the motion. Gold watched her go.

After standing in line for around fifteen minutes Gold watched Belle cross the courtyard, two paper cups in hand. He absently signed on the designated X at the bottom of his physical form.

“All done?” Belle said, reaching forward to hand Gold his cup.

“I suppose so.” He glanced over his shoulder at the boy behind the desk, who gave him a reassuring nod.

“Excellent! We need to get in there and get a good spot on the floor.” Her enthusiasm was endearing and he couldn’t help but smile at her. Following her into the gym he let out a low sigh at all of the familiar faces. Choosing to be the outcast of the town meant his friends were few and far between. It’s not like he expected to be welcomed with open arms but the sudden silence and chill in the room was unsettling, even for him. Suddenly he felt bad for the woman he was with. Apparently she hadn’t considered the effect having him as a partner was going to have on her day. He lowered his head and avoided eye contact with absolutely everyone.

“Hey.” As soon as she noticed his dramatic change in demeanor she nudged him with her elbow. “I know my heels are pretty high, but people will stop staring eventually.” When he looked up at her the smile on her face melted his fears. Before today he couldn’t thing of ten words he had spoken to Miss French, but for some reason he felt comfortable with her. That must be an effect she had on people though, because after looping her arm through his and crossing the room the atmosphere changed. Everyone had seemed on edge by his presence but as soon as she made it known he was there with her, they visually calmed. Once they got to where she deemed an acceptable location she pivoted around and took both of his hands in hers. Simply staring down at their hands, he was clearly dumbfounded by the gesture.

“Listen, I just want you to know how grateful I am that you are doing this for me.” He stayed focused on their hands, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. “I’m serious.” She squeezed his hands. “You really saved me from the embarrassment of showing up to my own event alone.” He cleared his throat and looked up at her, surprised by the sincerity he saw there.

“I assure you Belle, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Well, it is to me. Thank you.” She dropped his hands and just like that, the moment passed.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Everyone was finally in place and Granny Taylor took her place behind the podium. Gold took a moment to look around the gymnasium, there were more people here than he expected. The crowd proved Belle had done a good job, a ball of pride rolled around in his stomach. Suddenly, Belle tapped him on the shoulder, bringing his attention back to her.

“You have to spin around.” She said, twirling her finger in a circle. The question on his mind must have been written on his face because a moment later she held up a paper bib with #67 scribbled on it. He nodded and turned around, waiting while she pinned his number to the back of his jacket. When he turned back around she was holding up her own number, a small smile on her face. “My turn!” She pivoted on her heels and pulled her hair over her shoulder. Gold hadn’t realized how low the back of her dress dropped until this moment. Hesitating, he stared at the soft, milky skin, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it. He shook his head to refocus his attention and proceeded to pin the number above the small of her back. When she turned back to him she was smiling and he couldn’t resist smiling back. Being around her was comforting, her presence seemed to calm him in ways he had forgotten.

Granny Taylor stepped up to the microphone, bellowing into it. “Any couple without a number will be disqualified. All couples must be touching at all times. All couples must remain moving at all times. The only time you may stop moving, or stop touching, is when you hear this horn.” She pushed down on an air horn and the couples collectively jumped at the noise. “That sound means you have ten minutes. Ten minutes to get a drink, to eat a snack, take a rest, or whatever it is you can do in ten minutes. And in addition to the ten minute rest periods every person participating has been issued a yellow emergency card. In case of emergency a contestant can hold up the card and leave the floor for ten minutes. If your partner remains on the floor and moving the entire time then the owner of the yellow card may rejoin them and the contest. Aid is available in Miss Patty’s. Please remember if you feel yourself getting light headed or shooting pains, or any other stroke like symptoms, please move off to the side so that your collapse will not get in the way of the other dancers. Alright people! Lace your shoes, pin those curls, because we only have three minutes left, until we start!”

Gold fought the desire to roll his eyes at the old woman. Her over the top bravado this early in the morning annoyed him. Belle was smoothing the front of her dress when he brought his attention back to her. “Three minutes is just enough time to get more coffee. Care for a cup?” She looked up at him, eyes shining.

“Oh gods, please. I see a lot of coffee in our future.” Gold nodded and crossed the floor, headed to a small table that was distributing small cups of coffee to the dancers. Behind the table was a taller man with a backwards baseball cap, Gold recognized him from around town.

“Two.” Gold held up two fingers.

“It isn’t ready yet.” Gold cocked his head, wondering where Belle managed to materialize those first cups from.

“What do mean it’s not ready? It’s six in the morning. Nothing says coffee like six in the morning.” He turned over his shoulder, glancing at Belle. She was chatting happily away with a tiny red head. When he turned back the man was also looking at Belle. 

“You’re here with Miss French?” The tone of his voice was level but Gold picked up at the hint of surprise.

“I am, does that mean something to you?” The man looked him square in the eye before bending down to retrieve something from under the table. When he stood back up he had a large canteen. Handing it over to Gold he smiled.

“You didn’t get this from me.” Gold nodded his thanks and made his way through the crowd to where Belle was standing, still talking to a clearly flustered red headed woman. When he got there he handed the canteen over to Belle when the red head spun around to face.

“What do you think!?” She blurted the question out so rapidly Gold froze like a deer in the headlights. Once he regained his composure he was able to ask what she meant. “My husband, Eric, wants four in four, that’s ridiculous right?” At this point Gold turned his attention to Belle, a plea for help written in his eyes.

“Four kids in four years.” She explained. Gold nodded, turning his attention back to the tiny red head.

“That’s crazy! No alcohol for at least five years?” Gold didn’t much like children, aside from his own and the idea of having so many so quickly stretched his mind. The woman stared at him like he was the Moses who had just parted the sea to the promise land.

“I hadn’t even thought of that!” Her eyes went wide and she quickly ran through the crowd in search of her husband. Belle placed her hand on his arm, a gentle smile crossing her face.

“Thank you. Ariel is my best friend but she can be a bit… intense at times.” Her smile widened until her teeth showed. In that moment Granny Taylors voice came across the loud speaker again, announcing one minute until the marathon began. Seconds later a tall scruffy looking man approached Belle, raising his chin at her.

“Belle.” He said simply. Belle turned and faced him, squinting her eyes.

“Killian.”

“Good luck to you.” His tone was level, clearly he was competitive.

“And to you.” She matched his tone and body language, edging toward her own competitive nature. With that Killian took the arm of the Asian woman he as with and walked away. Belle turned back to Gold. “Man, he is going down.” Gold laughed. He knew Killian had won the competition several years in a row, it had almost become a tradition in itself.

“I hate to bring this up, Killian has very little in his life.” Belle furrowed her brow but nodded at him, not sure where he was going with this. “He has no career, no girlfriend, no pet, and no car. He lives with his mother, she won’t even let him have his own key. The only thing he does have in his whole, lonely, pathetic existence is this marathon.” Belle cocked her head to the side, as if considering the idea. “If we win, if we take him down, if we take away that last, little piece of dignity, then we leave him with nothing.” The corners of Belle’s mouth turned up and a devilish grin grew.

“I wonder if he’ll cry.” Gold was so surprised by the comment his mouth fell agape. Then he laughed, a big belly laughed that surprised even himself. This little, humble, good-doing woman wanted nothing more than to crush the man that has held her from victory for so long. Before Gold could control himself Granny Taylors voice came booming across the speakers again.

“Alright everybody, grab your partners! Make sure your numbers are securely fastened and let the countdown begin!” Suddenly the entire room was booming with voices counting down from ten. Belle stood as tall as she could make herself and shouted numbers, the biggest smile on her face. When the countdown got to three she reached forward and clasped both of his hands in hers. After a moment of confusion Gold remembered that all couples must remain touching at all times. The air horn blew and the music began and suddenly the entire gymnasium was moving. It took Gold a moment but Belle started dancing right away, twirling and looping around him, her hand firmly gripping his. Gold glanced up at the clock, next to the time stood large red letters reading 156 couples remaining. It was going to be a long day.

 

The next time Gold looked up at the clock six hours had passed. They were both starting to slow and couples were dropping left and right, 127 remaining. Killian and his partner sauntered up to them, the smug look on his face made Gold’s stomach churn. “Hey Killian, relax. Dancing is supposed to be fun.” Gold chuckled again at how competitive his partner seemed to be, he didn’t expect that from her.

“You know what’ll be fun, Belle? Jogging around your prostrate body with that shiny temple of silver importance hoisted in the air for all to see. That will be fun.” With that the man danced away and Gold couldn’t hold back his laughter. Apparently people took this silly dance very seriously and the angry look on Belle’s face proved she was one of them. They continued dancing and the thought occurred to him that he was actually having a good time with Miss French. As bizarre as it felt, he found himself smiling as he scanned the crowd, looking at all of the faces.

“See! Fun!” He turned back to Belle who had a glint in her eye. “And no one’s even thrown up yet!” This made him laugh again.

Another hour passed and more couples had dropped. Gold was starting to feel confident about their chances when Granny Taylors voice boomed across the loud speaker.

“Unauthorized person on the dance floor! Security, unauthorized persons on the dance floor! Security!” They both turned their attention to where the crowd was parting. Gold recognized the young Will Scarlett toting a beautiful blonde behind him. Personally, Gold didn’t care for the boy, he was a thug and a thief and honestly just a menaces.

“Well, look who’s suddenly interested in dance.” Gold scoffed as Will and the woman took a seat on the bleachers facing the dance floor.

“Yeah, he’s a regular Martha Graham.” Belle’s tone caught him off guard. He didn’t know the two knew each other, much less that she would be so bitter toward him. He looked at her questioningly. “Will and I dated a while ago.” Gold nodded and gave an audible “oh” before turning his attention back to the young man on the bleachers.

At hour 14 they were down to 46 couples and the strain had forced Belle to lean on Gold for support. She was resting her head in the crook of his neck and he swayed, keeping them both moving. Her eyes were closed she peacefully rested her hand on his chest. He was looking down at her, admiring how beautiful she was when the tiny blonde and a man Gold assumed to be her husband came dancing up.

“Hey Gold. What do you think of my hair?” Ariel mumbled a faint “Erik, no” before Gold could answer.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“My hair, how’s it look to you?

“It looks fine?”

Ariel took a moment to speak up this time. “Erik, you’re overreacting.”

“You think? How about you Gold, you think I’m overreacting?” Gold shot the man a puzzled look and Belle burrowed deeper into his chest, completely unaware of the situation. Suddenly the air horn blew and Belle jumped up.

“Oh, no.” Her face strained.

“What?”

“The run around.”

“The run around? That does not sound good.” He echoed her.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

Granny Taylors voice came across the speakers again “Everyone on your mark,” the crowd of people moved to the outside edge of the dance floor and filed into lines. “Get set, and go!” A gun shot sounded and suddenly the entire crowd was running around the outside edge of the dance floor. The mass of people pressed too close together made him uncomfortable. Belle grabbed hold of Gold’s hand and pulled him with her. _How does she run in those heels?_

“Round and round they go, when the song stops nobody knows. But when it does, the last three couples to cross the finish line will be eliminated!” Ariel and her husband ran up behind them again.

“Hey Gold, what about my running, what do you think of my running?” Erik shouted, keeping pace with the crowd.

“What did I do to you?” Gold turned his head and shot the man a look.

“Nothing!” Ariel interjected. “He’s not mad at you he’s mad at me.”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize when I married Ariel, I married both of you too! I didn’t realize I was a Mormon, my mistake!”

“Quit trying to drag them into this!” Ariel spat at her husband. He retorted with a sharp “fine” and proceeded to flee the dance floor. Belle, still not fully awake, watched as Ariel pulled her two yellow cards from her pocket.

“Our yellow cards, I have them, right here! Emergency!” Ariel shouted as she followed her husband out of the gymnasium.

“One of you is supposed to stay here!” Granny Taylor shouted into a megaphone, but they were gone. Gold focused on Belle now, her energy depleting by the second. Just then, Granny Taylor blew the air horn and announced the ten minute break. As a collective movement the crowd dropped to the floor, laying unmoving.

“I should go check on your friends.” Gold pushed himself into a stand, reaching his hand out to help Belle to her feet.

“Alright, I’ll go get us some sandwiches.”

Once she was to her feet they went their separate ways. Gold hesitated for a moment, watching her cross the gymnasium to the connected room. After spending the last eight hours together it was hard to watch her leave. Walking out of the gym and into the bright sunshine of the afternoon gave Gold an instant headache. He had forgotten it was already after two and he shielded his eyes with his hand, on his hunt for Ariel and her husband. It’s not like Gold was the type to resolve apparent conflicts in a marriage but Belle had mentioned that Ariel was her best friend and he felt obligated to make sure everything was okay. Before Gold could locate Ariel and Erik, the very man he was looking for materialized next to him.

“Okay, I need to say something. Contrary to your belief, there are some things in life that you do not have a right to have an opinion on.”

“What?” Gold was still confused.

“The rate at which I have kids and the amount of kids I wish to have falls directly under that category.”

“Dearie, what did you tell him?” Gold directed the question at Ariel but never took his eyes off her husband.

“Okay, you see. Once again my communication skills, not so good.”

“Son, I didn’t mean to get involved in any of this.”

“No? Telling Ariel that she needs to immediately inform me that four in four is crazy?”

“Awh, Ariel?” Now Gold looked at the woman, she seemed to shrink away from him.

“Erik, please calm down.” Ariel pleaded.

“I am calm. That’s it, I’m going home!”

“What about the contest?” Ariel blushed, embarrassed to be having this conversation with a man she just met.

“To hell with the contest! I am going home. Well, as long as that is okay with Gold!” He didn’t wait for an answer, instead storming off down the street, his small ginger wife in pursuit. Gold stood there, blinking in disbelief. _These people are crazy…_

He made his way back inside to find Belle, he had only been gone a few minutes but he found himself missing her.


End file.
